2016 McGuire on the Mall a Success

The 21 McGuire Entrepreneurship Program teams publicly unveiled their new ventures for the first time March 31 at McGuire on the Mall, a fun, festive, and collaborative trade show on the University of Arizona mall. Students in the McGuire Program receive a year of intensive experiential education that engages them in the process of moving innovation from an early-stage idea to a sustainable investor-ready venture, and McGuire on the Mall is an excellent opportunity for students to gain experience taking about their new ventures to the public in a trade show environment.  

Each new venture team had a 10x10-foot booth to use to present their innovation, and many used contests, giveaways, samples, and other tactics to attract passersby and interest them in their new ventures. Booths featured an opportunity to take a 3D photo and see it through virtual reality goggles, the chance to snap a selfie with a drone camera, karaoke singing with an artist-oriented independent record label, prize wheels, adding a handprint to a sign to commit to saving the earth, petting a desert tortoise replica, and much more.

See photos of the 2016 McGuire on the Mall 

Two judges, both McGuire Program alumni, visited each booth and evaluated the teams on visual presence and communication. Eric Smith, recently named Tech Launch Arizona's Commercialization Network Manager, and Linsay Craten, the CMO at Desert Owl Games and a former McGuire Program mentor in residence, selected the winning teams, which received a certificate and $250. ROVR, a mobile app for discovering exciting connections wherever you are, won the booth appeal prize, which recognizes the team best able to engage visitors and give them a sense of their venture based solely on visual appearance. Seller to Cellar won the communications prize, which honors the team that was best able to communicate about their venture through verbal pitches and written materials. Seller to Cellar directly connects local Arizona wine artisans with wine lovers at home through a convenient, interactive, and informative online marketplace experience.

All 21 McGuire Program teams successfully shared their new ventures, received valuable insights from potential customers, and many are one step closer to launching their ventures. Learn about all of the 2016 McGuire Program New Venture Teams and see them in a rapid-fire rocket pitch competition at the McGuire New Venture Competition and Showcase on April 29.